Bakambu overtakes Aubameyang to set new African record

Democratic Republic of Congo striker Cedric Bakambu has overtaken Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to set new African transfer record.
Bakambu has become the most expensive African footballer of all time after completing his £65m to China’s Beijing Guoan.
The Chinese Super League side has not officially released the sum paid for the 26-year-old, but the fee amounts to £65m, according to BBC Sport.


Arsenal’s £56m club-record January deal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang held the record for less than a month before Villarreal’s package set a new benchmark.
Beijing Guoan finished ninth in the Chinese Super League last season and hoped to pay considerably less for the player, who left Spain’s Villareal in January after his release clause worth £44.4m was met.
The Chinese club tried to convince local authorities there was no need to pay double that amount, in accordance Chinese taxation rules, given the player was a free agent.
Although the club failed with this, they did succeed in reducing the required tax from £44.4m to £35.5m. Last year, the Chinese FA ruled that clubs must pay 100% tax on signings in a bid to curb extravagant spending, with the extra funds going to the development of the local game.